Goals, goals, and well, even more goals. If it felt like you couldn’t keep track of all the scoring in Liga MX’s Week 11 of the 2022 Apertura season, you’re not alone. The weekend featured an immense total of 34 goals, which is now the matchday record high for the season with an average of 3.77 per game last week.
With four goals apiece, Pachuca, Leon and Santos Laguna all benefited the most from recent defensive frailties. In-form Liga MX giants Chivas and Club America, both claiming three scoring opportunities of their own, also added to the league’s towering pile of shots that found the back of the net.
Of course, there’s more to highlight than just scoring. Struggling Mexico City club Cruz Azul claimed three much-needed points, Monterrey held onto first place, Puebla extended their peculiar streak of draws, and for one young striker, a yellow card awaited them after they decided to bring some lucha libre moves onto the pitch.
In case you missed anything, here are three talking points and additional observations from Jornada 11 of the Liga MX season.
Liga MX officially returns to its high-scoring, high-flying ways
Even after seeing unexpected teams like Cruz Azul and Atlas defy the odds and lift league championships in 2021, it felt like something was missing from Liga MX last year. Whether it was due to COVID-19, players returning to fitness or simply a change in the league format that added four extra playoff spots, Mexico’s top flight often featured matches and performances that left much to be desired.
Statistics back this up. While the 2021 Apertura had the fewest goals per game ratio (2.19) since the beginning of Liga MX’s short season structure in 1996, the 2021 Clausura was third in line (2.39) when it came to fewest goals per game.
In recent weeks, that once-nagging narrative has been cast aside completely. Electrifying multi-goal matches have become key talking points in the last month or so, eventually leading up to Week 11 that featured 3.77 goals per game.
It isn’t the most defining characteristic, but there’s no denying that breathtaking goal fests are part of what made Liga MX such a fascinating spectacle in a pre-COVID era. Die-hards and casual fans alike became enamored with the league’s very attack-friendly approach to the sport.
To the satisfaction of those supporters and new fans, those goals are now back.
